I Raised My Twin Boys Alone. At 16, They Said They Never Wanted To See Me Again

I took a deep breath.

“We agree to what he wants,” I said. “And then we tell the truth when it matters most.”

The day of the banquet, I picked up an extra shift at the diner. I needed to keep moving. If I sat too long, my mind would spin itself into knots.

The boys sat together in a corner booth, textbooks spread between them. Noah had one earbud in. Liam scribbled notes like he was racing a clock. I topped off their orange juice and managed a small smile.

“You do not have to stay here all afternoon,” I told them.

“We want to,” Noah said, pulling out his earbud. “He is meeting us here anyway, remember?”

I remembered. I just hated it.

The bell over the door chimed a little while later. Evan walked in as if the place were his stage. Designer coat. Polished shoes. Confident stride.

He slid into the booth opposite the boys without asking, like he had always belonged there. From behind the counter, I watched their shoulders tense.

I walked over with a pot of coffee, holding it like a shield.

“I did not order that, Rachel,” he said, not bothering to look at me.

“You are not here for coffee,” I answered, keeping my voice steady. “You are here to make a deal with your sons and with me.”

He gave a low laugh.

“You always did know how to make things dramatic,” he said, reaching for a sugar packet.

“I am not the one who disappeared,” I replied. “We will go to your banquet. We will stand for your pictures. But make no mistake, Evan. I am doing this because I love my boys, not because I owe you anything.”

“Of course,” he said smoothly.

He grabbed a muffin from the display, dropped a bill on the counter like he was doing us a favor, and turned to my sons with a bright smile.

“See you tonight, family,” he said. “Wear something nice.”

After he left, there was a moment of quiet.

“He is enjoying this,” Noah said, letting out a long breath.

“He thinks he has already won,” Liam added.

“Let him think that,” I said. “He is in for a surprise.”

That evening, we arrived at the banquet together. I wore a simple navy dress that had been hanging in the back of my closet for years. Liam adjusted his cuffs like he had done it a hundred times. Noah’s tie was slightly crooked, on purpose, because that was just who he was.

When Evan spotted us, his smile widened. He walked over with open arms.

“Smile,” he murmured as cameras flashed. “Let us make it look real.”

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